Differences in Coping Effectiveness and Well-Being among Aging Mothers and Fathers of Adults with Mental Retardation.

A study examined stress and coping processes among 133 married mothers and fathers of adults with mental retardation. Mothers used significantly more problem-focused coping strategies. Unlike fathers, mothers' use of problem-focused coping strategies and lower use of emotion-focused coping buffered the impact of caregiving stress on their psychological well-being. (Author/CR)